Spike setting device



Dec. 1, 1964 l.. E. Moss SPIKE SETTING nEvIcE Filed May 17. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 1, 1964 1 E. Moss 3,158,867r

SFKE SETTING -.DEVICE Filed May 1'7. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 1, 1964 1 E. Moss 3,153,867

SPIKE SETTING DEVICE Filed May 1v. 1961 s sheets-sheet s United States Patent O par 3,ltl,867 SillE SETTNG Bill/ECE Lloyd E. Moss, 1912 tley St., Ferry, lori-a Filed May i7, 196i, Ser. No. 119,672 '1l Claims., tCi. i-l) My invention relates to the art of installing railroad spikes and more particularly to a device for setting and holding the spike during the initial phase of the driving operation.

Despite the great advances in railroading science, nothing has yet replaced the common railroad spike. lneumatic and hydraulic hammers have been devised to replace the hand Sledge in the spike driving operation, but the spikes are still positioned by hand and the initial driving operation is still accomplished by a hand tool` Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide a spike setting device that will grasp and then deliver the spike to its driving position; then hold the spike as the driving operation begins, and then release the spike and withdraw from the spike driving area.

A further object of my invention is to provide a spike setting device that can be easily controlled and which can be easily adapted to either automatic or manual control.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a spike setting machine that is economical of manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of my device;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of my device taken at right angles to the view in FIG. l and showing the twoway control cylinder thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. l;

FG. 4 is a sectional view of my device taken on line H of FIG. 3 and shows the spike-gripping jaws thereof;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the control means as taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a perspective View of the control means of my device; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of my device mounted on a railroad vehicle.

In FIG. 7 I have used the numerals lll and l2 to designate two conventional rails mounted on ties 14. A conventional service vehicle 16 with wheels 1S is mounted on rails and 12 and is powered by motor 2li. Motor 2G is operatively connected to compressor 22 to provide a supply of compressed air. A conventional pneumatic hammer 24 is movably secured to the forward end of vehicle 36. The connecting means between the vehicle and hammer can permit the transverse sliding of the hammer from one side of the vehicle to the other across the forward end thereof to permit the hammer to drive spikes on either side of both rails 19 and l2. Hammer 24 is also adapted for vertical movement so that it can move downward with a spike as the spike is being drive into a tie. Since the precise details of the hammer and its securing means are not an integral part of the invention herein claimed, the structural details of these components have not been shown.

Base plate 25 is shown in FIG. 3 and parallel spaced apart side plates 28 and 3) are welded or otherwise secured to the edges of the base plate. A pin 32 spans the distance between the two plates and is secured to the 3,158,857 ilatented Dec. l, 1964 plates at their outer free edges, and aY spacer element 34 is mounted on pin 32 to stabilize the plates at these points and maintain the parallel relationship therebetween. Plate 25 can be rigidly detachably secured to hammer 24 by brackets 35.

A vertical feed tube 36 is welded or otherwise secured to base plate 26 intermediate plates 28 and 36 and extends from the top of plate 26 downwardly to approximately the center thereof. Tube 36 is oval-shaped in cross section and terminates in a spike guide 38. Spike guide 38 is comprised of a semi-circular funnel element all which is secured to the top of a substantially U-shaped bar 42. Bar 42 has a bottom 44 (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), upper side portions 46 (see FIG. 3), and lower side portions 48 (see FlGS. l and 2). A gap appears between the side portions 46 and 48 at Sil for a reason to be discussed hereafter. A stop element 52 is secured to the lower end of bar 42 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A spike 54 with head 55, shank 55, and point 57, can be dropped downwardly through tube 36, and the spike will then be received by the spike guide 38 with the shank 56 resting in U-shaped bar 42; the head dwelling in funnel element 4t); and the point 57 resting on stop element 52.

A double acting air cylinder dll is mounted in a vertical position on plate 30 by means of brackets 62. Piston 63 is slidably mounted within cylinder Gil and piston rod 64 extends downwardly therefrom. An elongated bar 66 is secured to the lower end of piston rod 64 by means of clamp 65. Bar 66 extends vertically downwardly in sliding relationship through bearing 67 and has a plurality of gear teeth 68 on one of its surfaces. Bearing 69 is secured in any convenient manner to plate 30. Stop element 69A on the lower end of bar 66 limits the upward travel of the bar through the bearing 69. A horizontal shaft 7i? has one of its ends journaled in bearing o7 and its other end protrudes through and is rotatably supported by plate 36. A gear 72 is rigidly secured to shaft '70 between bearing 67 and plate 30 and the teeth of gear 72 are meshed with the teeth of bar 66 so that the rectilinear displacement of the bar will impart rotational movement to the gear. An arm 74; (see FIGS. l and 3) is rigidly secured to shaft and has an elongated slot 75 extending substantially its entire length.

Each of the plates 28 and 30 has a straight elongated slot 76 diagonally disposed in the upper portions thereof as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A C-shaped slot 7S appears in the lower portions of these same plates as also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Two inverted T-shaped arms 8@ form a carriage 80A and are held in parallel spaced relationship by bracket 8l. Guide pins 82 are rigidly secured to the upper ends of arms Sil and extend through slots 76 in plates 2S and 36. Flanged bushings S4 on pins 82 also extend through these slots to permit easy movement of the arms S0 with respect to the slots. Guide pins 86 and hanged bushings 8S on the lower portions of arms Si) perform the same function with respect to the C-haped slots 78 as pins S2 and bushings 84 did with respect to slots 76. As shown in FIGS. l and 3, the slot 7S in arm 74 also receives one of the pins 85 and one of the flanged bushings 8S on the lower end of one of the arms Sil so that the arm 74 can impart movement to arms 8@ with respect to slots 76 and 78.

A normally horizontal air cylinder @il is secured between the normally horizontal lower portions 92 of inverted T-shaped arms Si) my means of clip 94, as shown in FlG. 4. Piston 95 is slidably mounted in cylinder 94B and piston rod 95 extends from one end of the cylinder to terminate in the frusto-conically shaped plunger head 97. Spring 98 is mounted within the cylinder 93 between one end of the cylinder and piston 95 to yieldably force the piston toward air port 99 which, in turn, normally tends to Withdraw piston rod 96 into the cylinder. Two

Vto urge the gripping portions 11M-of the lingers together whenever air vis-forced -into cylinder 953 through air -port 99 to causejpiston'95 yto overcome spring 98. In PEG. 4, Va spike 54 is shown held by lingers 106 when compressed air is being introducedinto "cylinder'9t1 A semicircular funnel velement 108.*is secured lto the top of bracket 81, as shown in FIG. 3, and extends above lingers Y100 to loosely Yembrace in spaced 'relationship vthe spike 54 which is held by the fingers. When ythe Vinverted T-V shaped arms 80 lare in their 'uppermost positions, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the funnel shaped elements 49 and 108 tend to .guide the point-57 andshank-S of spikeV 54 into the U-shaped bar V42. At the same time, the gripping portions V1040i the fingers 101B lare adjacent the gap 5t) (see FIG. l) in the sides vof the spike guide 3S so that they are free to grasp'a spike thatmay be deposited within the YU-shaped bar 42.

A control valve 11!) is secured to the service vehicle 16 by means of bracket V1111. A conduit 112 connects compressor22 with air port 11S-on valve 110 which in turn is in communication with a center-bore 114 in the valve.- Pistons 115 and 116 are slidably mounted within bore 114 and are 'rigidly secured to rod 117 which jpr'otrudes 'from one end of the bore. -Bracket 118 vis secured tothe bottom of valve 1'10and has 'a'slot 119 which receives lever 120, which is securedrtoftheprotruding end of rod 117. Slot 119 serves to limit the displacement of rod 1-1'7 within bore114. Spaced apart 4airports 121 and 122 in valve 11? are in-communic'ation Iwithfbore 114 and the manual displacement of-the two-pistons can either close the ports, or can direct compressed air intoone'port or the other. The spaced Vapart distance between pistons 115 and 116 is the same as that vbetween ports 121 andv 122. i

An air block 4124 is secured in any convenient manner to plate 28 and has airfports 125, 126, 127, 128 and 129;

VAs shown by the dotted ylines in FIG. 6, ports 12S and 125 are' in communication with each other by means of duct 30. Ports 127, 128 and 129 are in communication with eachother by means of ducts131, A132 and '133. Conduit 134 connects port V121 in valve 110 and port 125 in block 124. (Conduit A135 connects port-122 in valve 110 and port 127 yin block 124. Conduit 136 connects port 126 in block 124 with air-port 137 on cylinder 619, and conduit 133 connects air port V129 in block -124 with port 139 on cylinder 6i). AConduit 140 connects port 99 on cylinder 90 with a flexible conduit 7141, which in turn is `connected to air port 12S on block 1,24. Conduit 146 can be welded or otherwise secured -to one ofthe inverted T-shaped arms SG. o A

The normal operation of my device is as follows: With my device mounted on the air hammer 24 and the hammer mounted on the service vehicle` 16 as described, the hammer and its drivingY element 2142 are positioned over the point where a spike is to be driven. The pistons 115 and '116 in control valve `1'1-1lcan be moved so that air port 121 is positioned therebetween. This will allow compressed air to move from the compressor 212,thence through'conduit112,.port 113, bore 114, port 121, conduit 134, portf12'5, duct13 inf block 124, port 126, conduit '7136, port 137 in cylinder '60, which will causerthe rod y64 to move downwardly out of the cylinder. This will cause bar 66 to rotate gear 72, shaft 70 and arm 74 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, which `will in turn force the inverted T-shaped arms 8i) to move to their uppermost positions in slots 76 and7S,

' then, bypredetermined. positioning, permitthe spike point as shown in FIG. 1. The -positionof carriage A will place the lingers 10i) on the arm S) inthe position described above with respect to the spike guide 38 whereby the lingers could grasp a spike which was received in the spike guide apparatus. At this point, the lingers 1130 are in their relaxed position shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 4.

A spike"5'4 can then be introduced into'the tube 36 and spike guide 38 in the manner described, and the control valve can then be actuated -so that port 122 is-located between pistons and 1145. Y This allows the A.compressed air in the top end of the cylinder 60 to reverse 'its path and be exhausted out of the open end of bore -114 in valve 110 which is beyond piston 115. The v`com-- pressed air Vthereupon moves into vport 12-2 instead offport 121,'and thencethrough conduitv'135 tofportf12'7 in block 124. The airrthen moves'into duct 131 and thence moves in opposite directions throughduct V133. This simultaneously supplies `compressed air to, the lower en d of 'cyl'-A inder 60 (through-conduit 13Sand port 139 inthe-cylini der) and the port V99 on cylinder 90 (through duct 132, iiexible conduit 141,-and conduit The compressed air lentering cylinder 90 causes fingers V1130 to grip the shank ofthe Spiker54 inthe manner described. The supe f ply of lair to the `lower Vend oficylinderdcausesthe rod 64 and bar 66 to move upwardly. This induces a counter-A clockwise rotationY of the gear 72, 'shaft V70, andai-m 74, as viewed in FIGS. 2Nand 3, which causes -the'carria'ge 89A lformed/by arms 81H0 move from the upwardvposition in slots 76 and Vv78 (see FIGS. l and -2) 'tothe lowermost position of the carriage, ais-shownin FIG. 3. The spike 54 is therefore withdrawn from the spike guide and moved downwardly and underneath the driving element 142,.o`ihammer 24. Stop element 69A .on 'the lower end of bar 66 will engage bearingfelement-69 asthe bar 66 moves upward, this willdeterminethe lower limit of travel of the carriage and the Y Y Compressed air can then be supplied to hammer 247111 conventional fashion by 'conduit -144-tocause drivingr-:led ment 142 to 'intermittentlybegin to -drive the `spi-ke Vv54 downwardly. The elevationof the hammer, the `{elevation ofthe spike, and theV elevation of my device should 57 to be in substantial engagement with the tie 14 before the spike driving operation commences. vAs soonk as lthe hammer 24 has delivered a few rapid driving strokes to the spike so that the spike has started to .enter-the tie,-the control Valve can be moved toits iirstdescribedrposition which will-allow the compressed air in cylinder 90rand the lower end of cylinder V60 to reverse thepathof entry andexhaust out of the openend of bore .114 to the `right of piston 116 as viewed inFIG. 5. This will cause the Y the tie. The cycle can then A be repeated v'for each spike to be driven. Obviously, the air 4controls of my device could be automatically coordinated with that of the hammer without departing from, the spirit of my inveniton.

Thus, from'the foregoing, it is seen that my device will accomplish at least'all of its 'stated objectives.

Some changes may be mad'ei'n'the construction and arrangement of `my spike setting device'without departing from the real spirit land-purpose of my invention, and it is 'my intention to cover by ymy claims, any modified forms of structure or use ofvmechanical equivalents which may be-reasonably includedwithin Vtheir scope.

I claim:

1. In Ya spike setting device, a carriage supporting means, a carriage movably secured to said carriage supporting means, vmovable spike gripping means on said carriage,a spike guide/means on said carriage supporting means capable of receiving a spike and holding it adjacent said gripping means, a iirst power means on said carriage operatively secured to said gripping means to move said gripping means together at times, and a second power means on said carriage supporting means operatively secured to said carriage to move said carriage and said gripping means away from said spike guide means to a spike driving position.

2. In combination, a hammer device having -a driving element, and a spike setting evice, comprising, a carriage supporting means connected to said hammer device, a carriage movably secured to said carriage supporting means, movable spike gripping means on said carriage, a spike guide means on said carriage supporting means capable of receiving a spike and holding it adjacent said gripping means, a first power means on said carriage operatively secured to said gripping means to move sm'd gripping means together at times, and a second power means on said carriage supporting means operatively' secured to said carriage to move said carriage and said gripping means away from said spike guide means to a position adjacent said driving element.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said supporting means has a pair of aligned slots formed therein, and further the carriage includes a pair of arms each movably mounted in said slots.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein the second power means on said supporting means ineludm a double acting cylinder operatively connected to an arm pivotally mounted on said carriage supporting means and movably secured to said carriage.

5. The structure of claim 3 wherein the rst power` means on said carriage includes a cylinder having a plunger, said gripping means includes two spring loaded lingers, and said plunger is adapted to operatively engage said spring loaded lingers.

6. In a spike setting device, a carriage supporting means, a carriage movably secured to said carriage supporting means, spike gripping means on said carriage, a spike guide means on said supporting means capable of eceiving a spike and holding it adjacent said gripping mens, a first power means on said carriage operatively secured to said gripping means, a second power means on said supporting means operatively secured to said carriage to move said carriage and said gripping means away from said spike guide means at times, a control means operatively connecting the second power means on said supporting means and the lirst power means on said carriage, and means on said control means for coordinating the movement of said iirst and second power means.

7. In a spike setting device, a carriage supporting means, a carriage movably secured to said carriage supporting means, two fingers having gripping portions pivotally secured to said carriage, means normally pivoting said gripping portions of said lingers away from each other, a spike guide means on said carriage supporting means capable of receiving a spike and holding it between the normally separated grippincr portions of said fingers, a first power means on said carriage operatively secured to said fingers to pivot said gripping portions toward each other at times, and a second power means on said carriage supporting means operatively secured to said carriage to move said carriage vand said lingers from a position adjacent said guide means to a spike driving position.

8. in a spike setting device, a carriage supporting means, a carriage movably secured to said carriage supporting means, two iingers having gripping portions pivotally secured to said carriage, means normally pivoting said gripping portions of said fingers away from each other, a spike guide means on said carriage supporting means capable of receiving a spike and holding it between the normally separated gripping portions of said lingers, a first power means on said carriage operatively secured to said iingers to pivot said gripping portions toward each other at times, a second power means on said carriage supporting means operatively secured to said carriage to move said carriage and said lingers from a position adjacent said guide means to a spike driving position, and a control means operatively connecting said rst and second power means, means on said control means for actuating said second power means on said supporting means and simultaneously intermittently interrupting the actuation of said first power means on said carriage.

9. In a spike setting device, a carriage supporting means, a carriage movably secured to said carriage supporting means, spike gripping means on said carriage adapted in one position of said carriage to receive a spike, a rst power means on said carriage operatively connected to said spike gripping means to move said spike gripping means to a spike gripping position at times, a second power means on said supporting means operatively secured to said carriage to move said carriage and said gripping means away from said one position to a spike driving position.

l0. In a spike setting device, a carriage supporting means, a carriage movably secured to said carriage supporting means, -two lingers having gripping portions pivotally secured to said carriage, means normally pivoting said gripping portions of said lingers away from each other, a spike guide means on said carriage supporting means capable of receiving a spike and holding it between the normally separated gripping portions of said lingers, a first power means on said carriage operatively secured to said lingers to pivot said gripping portions toward each other at times, a second power means on said carriage supporting means operatively secured to said carriage to move said carriage and said fingers from a position adjacent said guide means to a spike driving position, a control means operatively connecting said first and second power means, and means on said control means to actuate said rst power means on said carriage when said carriage is being moved toward said spike driving position, and to render said first power means on said carriage inoperative when said carriage is moving away fromsaid spike driving position.

1l. In combination, a hammer device having a driving element, and a spike set-ting device, comprising,

a carriage supporting means secured to said hammer device and comprised of an elongated base plate having parallel spaced apart side plates secured to the longitudinal edges of said base plate and extending at rivht angles thereto,

a vertical spike feeding tube secured to said base plate between said side plates and extending from the top of said base plate downwardly to approximately the center thereof,

a spike guide means on said carriage supporting means below said spike feeding tube,

a carriage movably secured to said carriage supporting means,

said side plates each having a slot formed therein aligned with each other,

said carriage including a pair of arms each movably mounted in said slots,

two lingers having gripping portions pivotally secured to said carriage,

means normally pivoting said gripping portions of said ngers away from each other, v

said spike guide means on said carriage supporting means capable of receiving a spike and holding it between the normally separated gripping portions of said ngers, v

a irst power means on said carriage operatively secured to said lingers to pivot said gripping portions toward each other at times.

a second power means on said carriage supporting means operatively secured to said carriage to move 7 8 Said carriage and said fingers from a position 'a'd- Y References Ctea in the le'of this patent paeni: "said gide nns 'to spike driving position UNITED STATES ,PATENTS belwsad driving elment 1 sifsos vCmp my 30, 1907 a control means operatively connecting said rst and 936679 Spandau 1 Oct 12 ,1909 second power means, and adapted -to actuate said rsi 5 97651-3 .Smith NOV' 22 191,0 power means on said carriage when said carriage is f 12851551 Christian 1 N0v' 19 1918 Vbeing moved 'toward said spike vdriving zposition, and 1,404,841 Y Doak Jam 3,1,J 1922 to irendersaid first power means-n saidcarri'age in- 1,652,831 Vi-e221 Dec. 13, 1927 operative When said carriage is Amoving Aaway from 10 4 1,356,893 TalbO-ys May 3, 1932 said spike driving position, 'said control means in- 2,018,129 Jackson Oct. 22, .1935 cluding "means for actating'saidlfsecond*power means 2,741,895 Horvath Apr. `17, 1956 andinfe'rmittmlyinterrupting the actuation of Asaid V2,897,782 Kennedy Aug. 4, `1959 fst power mm, v V2,925,048, McWilliams .er al. Feb. l1r, 1960 Y and means for vertically moving said Vdriving element 15 'FOREIGN PATENTS 'ai times' Y 598,416y Y Canada May 24, v1960 

11. IN COMBINATION, A HAMMER DEVICE HAVING A DRIVING ELEMENT, AND A SPIKE SETTING DEVICE, COMPRISING, A CARRIAGE SUPPORTING MEANS SECURED TO SAID HAMMER DEVICE AND COMPRISED OF AN ELONGATED BASE PLATE HAVING PARALLEL SPACED APART SIDE PLATES SECURED TO THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID BASE PLATE AND EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO, A VERTICAL SPIKE FEEDING TUBE SECURED TO SAID BASE PLATE BETWEEN SAID SIDE PLATES AND EXTENDING FROM THE TOP OF SAID BASE PLATE DOWNWARDLY TO APPROXIMATELY THE CENTER THEREOF, A SPIKE GUIDE MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE SUPPORTING MEANS BELOW SAID SPIKE FEEDING TUBE, A CARRIAGE MOVABLY SECURED TO SAID CARRIAGE SUPPORTING MEANS, SAID SIDE PLATES EACH HAVING A SLOT FORMED THEREIN ALIGNED WITH EACH OTHER, SAID CARRIAGE INCLUDING A PAIR OF ARMS EACH MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SLOTS, TWO FINGERS HAVING GRIPPING PORTIONS PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID CARRIAGE, MEANS NORMALLY PIVOTING SAID GRIPPING PORTIONS OF SAID FINGERS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, SAID SPIKE GUIDE MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE SUPPORTING MEANS CAPABLE OF RECEIVING A SPIKE AND HOLDING IT BETWEEN THE NORMALLY SEPARATED GRIPPING PORTIONS OF SAID FINGERS, A FIRST POWER MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE OPERATIVELY SECURED TO SAID FINGERS TO PIVOT SAID GRIPPING PORTIONS TOWARD EACH OTHER AT TIMES, A SECOND POWER MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE SUPPORTING MEANS OPERATIVELY SECURED TO SAID CARRIAGE TO MOVE SAID CARRIAGE AND SAID FINGERS FROM A POSITION ADJACENT SAID GUIDE MEANS TO A SPIKE DRIVING POSITION BELOW SAID DRIVING ELEMENT, A CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND POWER MEANS, AND ADAPTED TO ACTUATE SAID FIRST POWER MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE WHEN SAID CARRIAGE IS BEING MOVED TOWARD SAID SPIKE DRIVING POSITION, AND TO RENDER SAID FIRST POWER MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE INOPERATIVE WHEN SAID CARRIAGE IS MOVING AWAY FROM SAID SPIKE DRIVING POSITION, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID SECOND POWER MEANS AND INTERMITTENTLY INTERRUPTING THE ACTUATION OF SAID FIRST POWER MEANS, AND MEANS FOR VERTICALLY MOVING SAID DRIVING ELEMENT AT TIMES. 